While driving through my neighborhood on my way to work, I was following a woman in a Honda Hybrid. She veered into the bike lane as we neared an elementary school and she drove in the bike lane for almost a full block. I followed her until I had a chance to pull up to her side and told her what she had done wrong, and explained that a cyclist was killed last week by a driver that did the same thing. She thanked me for calling her on her mistake. Hopefully she pays more attention to the bike lane from now on.

I didn't save anybody but I bought a rusty 1960s Ross and a 50s Schwinn this weekend, ladies models both and I'm going to continue on fixing bikes up for transportation needs around here as my hobby now and then.

Not long ago, I caught my Mom parking her nice new Fuji in the back of her garage. Right behind the place she backs her car up to.

I insisted that this was a VERY bad place for her bike! So, we found another space where she could hang the bike up.

Turns out that I was right! Just recently she was backing up into the garage, and missed her mark, and hit the shelf that the bike had been parking in front of. The shelf got bent, but held, and the bike is fine, safely hanging up and out of the way.

a lowrider BMX, a mountain bike, a faired recumbent, and a loaded touring bike

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I did not drive my car on either saturday or sunday. Wasn't so much a car free day as a snow storm. We got about fourteen to sixteen inches here in Glen Cove Long Island. I put the studded tires on my bike, and took a little ride. On the way, I stopped and borrowed a shovel to clear a path through a snow-bank, so the crosswalk can be used. (I couldn't exactly find the wheelchair ramps, however). The bartender offered me a drink, but I declined.
I had also cleared leaves from a number of storm drains in the past two weeks.

Oh, I forgot to tell you; On Thanksgiving night I went for a ride, and there was a car broken down in the road. We couldn't move the car because the ball-joint had busted, and the left front wheel was hanging off. I stood in the road, with my reflective vest, and waving a red flag, to avoid having another car plow into the first one. I was directing traffic for an hour and ten minutes before a Police car came! I'm almost sure there would have been an accident if I had not been there, on account of the people who drink on Thanksgiving. (even though they aren't alcoholics) .

And I was shoveling more snow, and an old Russian lady told me she has an old ten-speed bicycle she didn't want, so I agreed to take the bike off her hands. Then a guy showed up with a snow blower, so I stopped shoveling.

In all seriousness, I think this is pretty awesome. I regularly write letters to the local newspapers arguing for better transportation and land use. I remove fallen trees or large branches whenever I run by them on the MUP. While walking one section of the MUP once I cleaned up most of the trash on it (to the dismay of my wife and mother... though our little Yorkie-Poo didn't seem to mind). I also agreed to do an interview about my commuting for a local newspaper reporter, and the story ended up on the front page! Pretty awesome, though you wouldn't think riding a bike to work should be so special. As far as I'm concerned, it only demonstrates what easy lives we've all had thanks to cheap and plentiful oil.

Called my County Commissioner today about a problem I've had on local trails.

On more than one occasion, I've had to call Non-Emergency Dispatch for issues concerning trail safety (lost/abandoned/stollen bikes, flooding), and after hours maintenance issues (large trees blocking the trail, etc.) and then I spend a lot of time explaining where the trail is to the Dispatcher. They are completly locked into "nearest cross streets" and often don't know where the trail is located.

My fears are what would happen if it was necessary for someone to call 911 for an actual emergency. What would happen if they weren't from the area, and not familiar with the cross streets. Myself, I have ZERO idea what the name of the streets that flank the trail are, unless they are on my commute route. How would I be able to get an Ambulance, or a Police response to the trail?

I'm suggesting that the dispatchers get training (and maps) on the all of the trails in the region. I'd also recommend improved signage so someone might have an idea of where they are without having to leave the trail itself and find a cross street.

He's going to talk about this next Wednesday at a social gathering that I'm helping organize.

Gave my old Trek bicycle to a lady who just moved from Houston and needed a bicycle to ride to and from work as her car was in disrepair. She lived a mile from her work and I really couldn't see her driving there every day when parking is not free near where she worked.

She was very appreciative.

I got the bike for free, figured I would give it away for free (despite the addition of fenders and a rack).

Gave my old Trek bicycle to a lady who just moved from Houston and needed a bicycle to ride to and from work as her car was in disrepair. She lived a mile from her work and I really couldn't see her driving there every day when parking is not free near where she worked.

She was very appreciative.

I got the bike for free, figured I would give it away for free (despite the addition of fenders and a rack).

I wrote to the parks and rec department to inform them of how you close a road and that a green belt trail is not a sidewalk. They said they'd notify the contractors who pretty much continue to do the same thing but they knock the "sidewalk closed" signs over when they're done working now.

Still none of the detour signs I requested. At least I can just ride around 95% of the time; even though it's "closed."

Signed up to attend the National Bike Summit in March... will be meeting with both our senators and the four congressional district offices urging support for cycling in the pending transporation bill, as well as a few other things.

Gave a certificate good for a free Traffic Skills 101 course to be delivered on site, on campus at Stephen Austin University in Nacogdoches, TX.

Helped work in organizing opposition to a House bill in Kentucky that would ban cyclists from transporting children under the age of 18 in bike trailers or child seats on the state roadways in Kentucky (HB 255, sponsored by Rep. Osborne).

Set up the spring schedule for bike education classes here in the local community.

Worked on a presentation on how to set up and run a school bike/pedestrian safety program under the federal Safe Routes to School program grants for presentation to the state obesity coalition next week.

While I don't have photos (my camera isn't functional right now), I did my part today. In San Diego, there is a path called the Rose Canyon Trail. It runs from the north end of Santa Fe Ave to the south end of Gilman Dr. The trail is basically a connection, nothing much more. About 2/3 up from the south end, there is a low spot that floods when it rains. Coming from the south, you don't see it until you're there, so it is also a danger in that regard. There is also a culvert and channel that runs just feet from this ponding area, which the water can't seem to find. Today, I dug a canal from the flooded area to that drainage culvert and started draining the flooded area. The canal I dug was about 30' long, 2' wide, and about 1.5' deep at the deepest point. It is draining quite well now, already lowered about 3" with another 3-5" of lowering expected with that drain in place. So, what have you done today to improve cycling in your area?

Less than 24 hours ago, I got off my bike, took a little whisk broom out of the basket, and swept some broken glass from a street corner. I also did the wheelchair ramp.

Originally Posted by sd_mike

While I don't have photos (my camera isn't functional right now), I did my part today. In San Diego, there is a path called the Rose Canyon Trail. It runs from the north end of Santa Fe Ave to the south end of Gilman Dr. The trail is basically a connection, nothing much more. About 2/3 up from the south end, there is a low spot that floods when it rains. Coming from the south, you don't see it until you're there, so it is also a danger in that regard. There is also a culvert and channel that runs just feet from this ponding area, which the water can't seem to find. Today, I dug a canal from the flooded area to that drainage culvert and started draining the flooded area. The canal I dug was about 30' long, 2' wide, and about 1.5' deep at the deepest point. It is draining quite well now, already lowered about 3" with another 3-5" of lowering expected with that drain in place. So, what have you done today to improve cycling in your area?

I love hearing about how people are making a difference in their local areas (and that goes for those who attend meetings, write letters, and speak out about problems).

Latest happenings

Within the past 4 days I've had to call on two loose dogs I happened across while riding. Both of them had almost gotten hit by traffic.

Also, I've reported a couple of road problems near my house, one of which is a water seepage that comes up from under the roadbed and seeps downhill, enough water that when it's below freezing, I have an ice sheet to watch for when I ride to work.

Happened across a newer bike shop run by a father and son. Dad has been a local bike advocate and I'm hoping to get some of his knowledge and background to help with patients at the physical rehabilitation hospital I work at. I'm hoping his 10% discount for professionals gets some of the therapists who ride to consider him as well.

FocusDriven

I'm spreading the word about an advocacy group working to stop cellphone use and texting in cars:

I've already written my local state assemblyman asking that something be offered in the next legislature as Nevada is one of 2 states who not only do not have laws describing this as an offense, but do not even have any legislation pending to curtail/prevent cellphone use or texting.

I know, blah, blah, blah, no one's going to quit driving and talking on the phone. Well, to any and all of you who feel that way, I'd like you to put up or shut up and tell me how you're advocating your state teach this behavior in driver's ed then? Those are our options, either say it's not an acceptable driving distraction and penalize it or say that it is and you're supposed to text in such and such a fashion safely.

Thank you for contacting us at FocusDriven. I am so glad you are interested in helping with our efforts to stop cell phone use while driving. Thank you for all of the groups you suggested. I had thought of a few of them already but I know this is something that is very important to many. I will contact thse that you have listed for sure.

At the bottom of this email is a link to the National Safety Council’s Distracted Driving website which provides many resources for information on the topic. We have partnered with them because of their knowledge of the topic. If you have not had a chance please check out our website at www.focusdriven.org and send a link to all your friends and family to share the message. Also, we are a new organization so fundraising is a big part of what we need to do right now so we can put all of programs into place and attend the legislative meetings across the country. If you are able to help please visit the webpage and click on our support the movement tab and donate to our non-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible and are appreciated.

We are beginning to make additions and functionality to it to be more useful to our members so we’ll let you know when we have more features available. We will be sending out newsletters and contact our members when important legislation is pending in their local legislatures so you can get involved. We are very new so please bear with us as we put all of the pieces together but we will be uploading information in our website such as downloadable information you can hand out in your communities and letters to send to your state representatives. We are also working on some of the great ideas we have been given like bumper stickers and t-shirts. We will be in touch as soon as we have made some progress for you to get more involved. In the meantime please just spread the word about our group and what we are trying to do.

Let us know if there is anything we can to do to help you or if you have any questions and we will be in contact soon. Thank you again for joining our efforts and caring enough to share in our mission. Remember to spread the word and not to use your cell phones while you drive. Also, if someone calls you when they are driving, tell them to just call you back once they are stopped. If we all work together we can bring a change and save thousands of lives.

I have included a list of links to our different social networking sites and groups for you to spread the message.

P.S. I do not know if you were able to see it but The Oprah Winfrey Show on Monday, Jan. 18 discussed the dangers of distracted driving. Two of our board members were featured guests and the other three were in attendance in the audience. It was a very powerful show and we hope that it brought even more attention to this epidemic. If you missed it, here is a link to it on her website.

Today I...

Today I picked up a pink smock on the side of the road, to see if it was usable, get it out of the gutter and dropped it off at a thrift store. I notified one municipality about some landscaping debris that's blocking a section of bike lane and another municipality about an electric dryer that was left by the side of the road today.

I got my bike on TV today! I had jury duty and locked my bike up to the courthouse sign. Apparently a local supt. of schools had been physically sexually harassing some principals and today was his day in court. Sitting in the Jury assembly room through a mind numbing five hours of daytime network TV, I saw my Panasonic as the cameras panned across the outside of the courthouse.

Not sure what this accomplished... but it was the highlight of those incredibly boring 5 hours.

The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets. Christopher Morley